Ferrari’s official importer for Singapore hits 10-years and caps it off with the debut of the SF90 Stradale hybrid hypercar

SINGAPORE – It’s Formula One weekend here, and the race itself is a few days away, but there is already plenty to celebrate off the track. 

At a cocktail reception at Como Dempsey tonight, Ferrari’s official importer for Singapore, Ital Auto, celebrated its 10-year anniversary, while also commemorating Scuderia Ferrari’s (the Ferrari racing team) 90th anniversary.

Mr Teo Hock Seng, the executive chairman of Ital Auto and parent company Komoco Holdings, said: “It was a challenging task to take up the mantle as the exclusive Ferrari dealer in Singapore as there are exceptional standards to live up to but it was a test we readily accepted. Ferrari cars are pedigree machines that are the stuff of dreams and Ital Auto has the people with the passion and drive to do the Prancing Horse badge proud. The dealership’s strong performance is testament to Ital’s relentless commitment to uphold the brand’s iconic image.”

In 2018, Ital Auto feathered its cap by being recognised as Ferrari Dealer Of The Year for the Southeast Asia and Korea region. 

Mr Dieter Knechtel, CEO of Ferrari Far East and Middle East Hub, said: “After its inception in 2009, Ital Auto has quickly established itself as one of Ferrari’s best-performing dealers.  They can be counted on to deliver the highest standards and best practices when it comes to sales, marketing and aftersales. And they had truly come of age with the award in 2018, proving that a small market can produce mighty results.”

The event also saw Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and F1 driver Charles Leclerc take to the stage and answer questions from the floor about the upcoming race. 

The star of the show was a bit of a shock, though: An all-new addition to the Ferrari line-up, the SF90 Stradale hybrid hypercar, which made its regional debut at the event. 

As covered by Ju-Len at the car’s international debut, the SF90 Stradale is something of a game changer for the Italian sports car maker. 

The most powerful road-going Ferrari made, the brand says the SF90 is the first full series production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and also its first mid-engine, all-wheel drive sportscar. Some qualifying statements need to be made, though: The LaFerrari limited-run hypercar was also a plug-in, and the GTC4Lusso has its engine in front.

As for its flagship status, in the past V12-powered Ferrari berlinettas (coupes) have been the brand’s headline cars for its main model line, while special-run supercars such as the Enzo and LaFerrari aren’t counted as part of the full production series, even though they are faster and more expensive.

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The car has three electric motors and a 780hp, 4.0-litre V8, with a total power output of 1,000hp, good for 0-100km/h in 2.5-seconds, and 0-200km/h in a nutso 6.7-seconds, with a top speed of over 340km/h. 

The car hasn’t been homologated here yet (on display was a left-hand drive model), but it’ll cost at least S$1.5-million without Certificate of Entitlement (COE), and deliveries begin next year. 

Put your money down right now, however, and it’s estimated that you’ll only receive your car in 2021 – as it is with every Ferrari, there is a long waiting list.

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Also at the event was the new V8-powered two-seater, the F8 Tributo, which replaces the 488 GTB as the fun-filled sports coupe of the Ferrari range. The car, which made its Asian debut earlier this year, is expected to cost just under a million Singapore dollars.

To celebrate Ital Auto’s decade, we’ve included some photos from when it all started. 

In 2009, CarBuyer was on the scene at Ital Auto’s inauguration, which was attended by Ferrari CEO at the time, Amadeo Felisa (above middle), and Marco Mattiaci (above right), then-CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific, as well as Ferrari’s most recent F1 champ and current Alfa Romeo F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, as well as ex-F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella.

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